Amaechi dares Wike to probe his administration saying he was the chief of staff in it

OUTGOING Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi has dared the incoming chief executive Nyesom Wike to probe his administration when he takes over saying that it he does, he will end up shooting himself in the foot as he served in the government too.

 

Yesterday, Mr Wike, a former education minister and one-time chief of staff in Governor Amaechi's cabinet, said he would probe the Amaechi administration when he takes over on May 29. Governor-elect Wike specifically said that those who participated in the use of N4.5bn (£14.31m) to conduct local government elections, even when the court had stopped the exercise, would be made to account for their actions.

 

However, Chief Tony Okocha, the chief of staff at Government House, Port Harcourt, said that Governor Amaechi was not afraid of a probe and added that the governor had been transparent and sincere in governing the state. He argued that there was nothing wrong in probing any administration but stated that the exercise would only become a vice should it be done with mischief in mind.

 

Yesterday, Governor Amaechi said: “Listening to the governor-elect, Wike, I am trying not to respond to him because he has been accusing me of corruption, forgetting that he was the chief of staff to this government. So, how can he turn back and accuse me of corruption? Then he must be part of the corruption himself.

 

"He has been saying that he will probe me, but everybody can remember that despite calls by people of this state to probe former Governor Peter Odili, I never did. If you continue probing what the former administrations have done, how will you perform?"

 

Speaking during the inauguration of the 22 local government chairmen, elected during Saturday’s council elections, Governor Amaechi said that Mr Wike cannot dissolve the 22 councils elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, as such power only lies with the court. He insisted that the state government and the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission complied with all the stipulated laws on the conduct of the council elections and assured the people of the state that the 22 chairmen will complete their term in office.

 

Governor Amaechi said he is proud of the fact that as a Christian, he has never killed in the course of my political life and I will not kill anybody. He added that rather, he would drop his political ambition.

 

“Wike went ahead to hire people like Ateke Tom just because of elections. I can boldly say that when I became a governor, nobody died, but because of Wike’s ambition, people are dying every day," Governor Amaechi added.